How to Make a Quilted Doll Blanket

Guest Author - Susan Kramer

Sewing a doll blanket is a fun beginning project before trying the intricacies of making doll clothes and costumes. An older child could try this project. It is a good way to use scraps of fabric from different sewing projects and can be a welcome present that only costs the thread to sew it!

If you use centimeters, the conversion is 1 = 2.5cm.

The finished size of this blanket is 21 by 24 and is made with just 2 alternating colors.

Each finished square is 3 by 3 with 7 rows across and 8 rows down.

- Cut each square 3.5 by 3.5 to allow one quarter inch seam allowance on all sides of the square.

- Youll need 28 squares of plain fabric and 28 squares of print fabric. I use cotton so it shrinks evenly when washed. It is lightweight enough to go in the home washer with towels of similar color.

- Lay out your pattern in 7 strips of 8 squares each.

- Sew squares together in each strip, end to end.

- Last of all, sew all strips together to finish the quilt.

- For the lining, lay your finished quilt, right sides facing on your backing material, pin down and cut out backing along outside edges of quilt. With ¼ seam allowance sew all around border except for a 6 gap for turning right side out. Clip corners, turn, press, blind stitch opening closed.

- Did you think I forgot to tell you about the stuffing? No. A doll blanket needs to be flexible and just the quilt topping and backing make it thick enough!

- Now, by hand or machine, top stitch ½ in from the edges to hold the blanket shape. A finishing touch I like is to embroider the initials of the child it is for in one corner of the top. If youd like, hand or machine stitch across the blanket in the middle, left to right, and top to bottom.